EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country cleanup and revitalize brownfields sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.

Cleanup Grants

$400,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the New England Youth Theatre for two brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up two adjoining sites: 100 Flat Street and 56 Elm Street in Brattleboro. The 1.3-acre Flat Street site was used as a lumber yard from 1896 to 1967. The theater is the only building remaining on the site. Environmental concerns at the site include contamination that may have migrated from adjoining sites such as 56 Elm Street, including PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, and arsenic. Over the years, the 0.09-acre 56 Elm Street site was used as a livery building, automobile repair facility, and lacquer storage area for a paint shop on the site. Environmental concerns at the Elm Street site are related to the more than a century of commercial and industrial use of the property, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PCBs, and metals in soil. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach activities.

Contacts

For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).

The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.